Tuesday, February 26, 2008

The tone of the debate started out as if the pair were sent to the Principal's office and Hillary was responding to allegations of less-than-lady-like behavior.

The debate picked up and turned presidential when Obama talked about the mailings that had Hillary hollerin' and the mandate Sen. Clinton has in her health care plan. She wants to make the uninsured who can afford it, buy health care (like mandatory car insurance) and fine them if they don't buy it on their own.

Then I got it--she is trying to insure the uninsurable. People

who make too much to qualify for state-sponsored health care

but can't qualify for regular insurance because of a

pre-existing illness.It shouldn't take all of this to get a point across.

worker (he is a Civil Rights attorney and was a Constitutional Rights professor) not corporate profits.

Times were good then and we didn't listen to the portion of the

American public who begged us not to take the deal.Then again, this country forgets on a regular basis to buy

American.Obama is on top of NAFTA standards.

Foreign Policy--Obama is clearly the leader in this area. I

trust his judgement thoroughly.He has the temperament to do this and do it well--effectively

well--not just with style and grace.

Hillary loves to jab, punch and kick. Everyone is looking for

her to take higher ground. People don't like to be pushed

around--they get defensive--something the enemy is accustomed to

doing-- taking the offensive.

(I was for the war myself--that is why I am not leading the free

world.)

We entered this war without an exit strategy. We did not fund

it properly--all of that money couldn't have gone to help soldiers stay safe. All we had to do is follow what the military

asked us to do--like give them the tools to win. The thing

about being tough is that when being tough, you have to be

really tough--no half stepping. Being tough means taking

punches--hard punches. We would rather discuss the issues like civilized people.

Tim Russert set both of them up with the "get out" of Iraq question.

When we leave, all hell will break loose over there and we will

feel it over here.Obama's plan is workable. There is no black or white here but

many gray areas--when not considering corporate profits. It

is time to let go the hand of the oil companies and find our

own energy resources so that we have firm ground to stand on

when we interact with the warring nations. Most of this cannot

be discussed in public because it is a matter of national

security. Afghanistan is hot.

We need to keep the fireworks in the sandlot--not in American

cities. Keep your enemies closer.

I don't like Hillary's plan. The

attitude is too cavalier. (away with them!) I can see her

fanning them away and turning her head now. I would never turn

my head on them. They are out for blood and they will never

quit.Barack took Hillary's grandstanding about his idealism in good

humor--see how he does? He didn't get defensive, he took the

opportunity to further his platform.He plans on getting the real people real help they need to

survive. He knows what we are going through.(Not all of us have $5 mill on hand to lend) She said she would

get $55 billion back from "special interest groups" that

Congress had been pushing into their pockets and invest it in

the middle class. Okay! How is it you have that much sway with

the special interest groups? How is it they are willing to give

back money? I smell a deal in the works. What will we lose this

time? (I'm tired of losing)I know no one will bother to explain these things to me because

I'm not important enough. The Invisible Girl already knows she

doesn't matter. But see, it's not just me. There are lots of

Invisible Girls and Boys in this country that Sen. Obama

promises to recognize--that is why we recognize him.

(I like the idea of Green Jobs--now that is Change we can

believe in. Who wouldn't want to build a windmill?)

And in my opinion, Presidential Candidate Barack Obama won

tonight's debate.

I bet Hillary doesn't want to go first on certain questions because she believes Barack will follow or build on her response.However, he nailed the Russia question. He is on top of things internationally.I have so much confidence in his leadership abilities.

(We are all ignoring Tim Russert and Hillary Clinton's inability to let the Farrakhan issue go--that was over the top. Barack already had said he rejected the Minister's controversial ideas--including the ideas he has on Jewish people or Jewish issues.)

Monday, February 25, 2008

Well, I knew the gloves would come off at some point.First it started with Mrs. Michelle Obama. Racist folks started

hollerin' for a rope because she so eloquently told of her

Black Experience in this country. She also has a Woman's

Experience and an Under-50 Experience and a Mommy

Experience--y'all gone holler about that too? Her views are

reflective of my own about my country. They are more than valid

and I hope she continues to speak on it.

photo courtesy of www.johnmccain.com Then the Hate Express rounded the bend to Sen. McCain's

house--even though now, folks are pounding on the front doors of

the New York Times calling for blood. McCain allegedly has been known to

mess around with a pretty lobbyist that closely resembles

his rather well-preserved wife--and he allegedly lied about

it--sound familiar?(Remember what they did to former President Bill Clinton at the

start of his presidential campaign and throughout his

presidency?)

Now we have Sen. Hillary Clinton hollerin' in the mike at a

press conference. Please medicate her. She always hollers and demands this or

that--most women do--in PRIVATE. Saturday Night Live had a segment on the news skit about "B*tches." It's pretty much true.(See, when I get hollered at like that no one says anything)Now, we have a pic of Obama in authentic Kenyan garb--So What!

The people are not so easily fooled or misled anymore since Obama stood up. He was the first presidential candidate to take a stand in this contest and the people stand behind him. We are not going to sit back down. This country will Change and become truly inclusive and that is the final word.We will drag this country and its naysayers kicking and screaming into the actual 21 century and they will love it!

There, I feel better now that I've said that. I had been holding it in all day. And I didn't have to holler to get my point across.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

(I love the CNN live feed—I recently discovered it.)The Obama rally was out-of- control with gladness and joy at the Change that is about to happen to this great nation.The roar was deafening as Presidential Candidate Barack Obama (D-IL) took stage.“Houston, I think we have achieved lift-off here!”“Early voting has started here in Texas and everybody has one of these cards and everybody knows you can start voting in Texas. Don’t wait until tomorrow,” he asked.“You’re going to have to attend the caucus March 4 to get us a few more delegates.Don’t go alone—take some friends and family to the polls,” Obama said.He warned that the “change we seek is still months and miles away and we need the good people of Texas to help us get there. If we are blessed and honored to win the nomination we will need your help to win in November,” he said. He also said that after the presidential election, help will still be needed to turn America around.“What we are trying to do here will not be easy and it will not happen overnight-- it will require something more. It will take more than good ideas because Washington is where good ideas go to die. Change is needed now,” he said.He said NAFTA took our jobs and described a supporter who told him about his first hand knowledge of what the trade agreement meant to him.“They work for years and come to work one day and literally see the machines unbolted from the floor and sent to China,” he said.He told the story of the woman with the blind twins who entered into a predatory loan.Her fees doubled in two weeks and she was on the verge of homelessness and didn’t know where to turn or what to do.“My faith in the American people has been vindicated…it is time to turn the page.” He addressed safety standards and toys being played by our children that have lead paint.He addressed the process of instituting an improved educational system.“The problem is a lack of urgency,” he said.He said the not-in-our-backyard mentality will cease.“Every child is our problem every child is our responsibility. We will invest in early childhood education and reward teachers by giving higher salaries and giving them more support and no more teaching to the test but learning”—real learning so that this country can advance, he said.Affordable college tuition and getting to work in the Peace Corps or another type of service to the country was also highlighted. (This is the type of work experience that a college grad can bank on.)

There are still some dedicated law enforcement professionals in this world.Fed up with all of the illegal scrapping, two Gary police officers decided to double up efforts to stop thieves from ruining homes, stealing cars for scrap and otherwise undermining our quality of life here in town.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Six are dead including the shooter during a midday St. Valentine's mass murder on the sprawling campus of Northern Illinois University in Dekalb, IL. Students told reporters, during witness accounts, about a previous threat to the NIU campus--racist graffiti scrawled on the wall of a bathroom.

The shooter, identified as Stephen Kazmierczak, was a NIU graduate student in the spring of 2007, school administrators said during a press conference broadcast on CLTV News in Chicago.

In all 22 people have been injured. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is processing the crime scene.

One witness described the shooter as a "skinny white guy with a stocking cap," who police say later committed suicide. Witnesses also say he was dressed in all black and didn't say anything before opening fire with a shotgun.

Witnesses told reporters there were 20 to 30 shots inside a classroom at Cole Hall while class was in session. The lecture hall was set up like an auditorium and Kazmierczak came from backstage onto centerstage, shooting into the audience of students.

A female student in the class said the shooter looked angry and that the incident began during the last 10 minutes of class.

Many were treated for head wounds, a Kishwaukee Community Hospital spokeswoman said.

Another witness said there was threatening racist graffiti against Blacks found in a restroom when asked by a reporter if the campus had any warnings of violence prior to the shooting.

That threat, though widely reported in December 2007, was mostly dismissed as an attempt by students to possibly delay finals.

However found on the WIFR.com web site are the comments of Mitchell Gaddis, president of the university's NAACP chapter. In December 2007 he said the slurs and threats found in a residence hall bathroom didn't come out of the blue.

Gaddis says it is unsafe for blacks to walk along Greek Row. He says blacks are tired of that.

NIU school officials were tightlipped when asked by reporters whether or not they think the shooting is connected to previous incidents. They said they think that it is not, however, they are investigating the link, according to reports from CNN.

Also reported is that the shooter was acting erratic in the weeks preceeding the campus massacre and had not taking prescribed medication for an unknown illness. It is unclear who noticed Kazmierczak's behaivor change and if they tried to warn anyone of it.

The shooting happened around 3 p.m. CST and the campus was locked down within minutes. The open commuter-style campus is located in Dekalb, Illinois not far from Rockford, IL has an enrollment exceeding 25,000. Classes have been canceled until further notice. Students were asked to call their parents, many told reporters that they were going home.

However, the emergency response to the shooting was exceptionally fast.

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich declared a state-of-emergency which will open the Governor’s disaster relief fund for local units of government to reimburse them for their extraordinary expenses related to the response and will facilitate the Illinois Emergency Management Agency in providing assistance to local units of government.

In addition, the State is providing on-site assistance at NIU, including Illinois State Police Northern Tactical Response team members, State Police officers and Illinois Department of Natural Resources officers who are supporting local and university law enforcement.

Specialists from the Department of Human Services are assisting the university’s metal health professionals in conducting a crisis assessment.

On-scene response included 16 ambulances, 2 air ambulances, more than 60 fire and EMT personnel, 15 Law Enforcement Officers, two mobile command posts and an Illinois Transportable Emergency Communication System.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Terms of Use: The MP3 song, Como Se Dice...Como Se Llama (OBAMA OBAMA) will be used for personal/private use and will not be uploaded or distributed on the Internet, and/or played or performed in public without written permission by Nueva Vista Media, Inc.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

The polls are closed in Virginia and Maryland with 47% of the precincts reporting, Presidential Candidate Sen. Barack Obama won 62% of the vote and is projected the winner according to CNN.The photo of Sen. Obama on the CNN web site is astounding. The smile on his face tells the whole story. Roland Martin will tell you the rest of the story...

Presidential Candidate Barack Obama greets voters in Washington D.C. where, as a U.S. Senator (D-IL), he was at his "day job"--to quote reporters. Obama voted on national security legislation.

Also, CNN just reported that Obama has surpassed Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) in the number of delegates they each have. Obama has 1,170 and Clinton has 1,168.

Gas heaters are an efficient and economical way to heat any space, including garages, home offices, or even just small areas of a room. There are many sizes and types of propane and natural gas heaters to choose from, so you should be able to find the right gas heater to fit your heating need.I use one specifically for my feet, as they tend to get cold when I sit in my drafty living room to write. It's very comfy with my little heatie. (yes, I nicknamed it because I love it so much!)Ever since the first gas heater was mass produced in 1856, people have been utilizing this convenient and affordable method of home and space heating. In the more than 150 years since, there have been great strides in the development of propane and natural gas heating technologies, including various sizes, capacities, and safety features.So, you should be able to find one to fit your needs. Get a heatie!

I recieved this in the mail. ( I think)Business Owners and managers are always looking for ays to confront daioy problems in business but they can't ask their employees or customers. Where do they go? They go to the Sounding Board, a volunteer Service consisting of over 50 business owners and professionals offered by Purdue University in Calumet to solve issues and problems faced by business owners.These problems are discussed confidentially.Call 219-989-2100 or 1-877-974-2100 for details.

Thursday, February 07, 2008

Planning a trip to Iceland? Here’s some tips for hotels and flights, particulaily if you are connecting from Copenhagen in Denmark, or travelling on to maybe Greenland via Iceland.

The best place to buy discount last minute hotels in Copenhagen or Iceland is here. Check out these examples: Cheaperthanhotels – Cheap Iceland Hotels,Cheap Reykjavik Hotels,Cheap Copenhagen Hotels,Cheap Denmark Hotels.Iceland is easily reached via air and the international airport is Keflavík, in the southwest of the country about 40 km from Reykjavík with regular services by Iceland Express and Icelandair departing from Denmark and Copenhagen or London Stansted or Heathrow. The airport itself is quite boring; so if you need to stop a long time for a connection you should make sure to bring some entertainment.

There is an airport transfer bus service (called the FlyBus) between and Reykjavík and the airport bus terminal via various hotels (1100 Kr [1200Kr from 01 Jan 07], 45 minutes). A return is 300 Kr cheaper than 2 singles.

Another great option is to take the bus which stops at the Blue Lagoon either to or from the airport, then continues every half hour or so to Reykjavík. Taxi’s are expensive, costing an amazing 9500 krona (approximately US$150) and that’s official metered costs !! Nonstop flights on Icelandair are available at the best value from the U.S. and Canada, with gateways in New York City, Boston, Halifax, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Orlando Sanford, and Baltimore/Washington.

You can also stopover in Iceland for up to seven nights at no additional airfare on your way to or from Europe. That's two destinations for the price of one! Another option is the low cost airline Iceland Express which flies from Copenhagen and London (Stansted) to Keflavik (with additional service during the summer month to Frankfurt-Hahn, Berlin Schönefeld, Friedrichshafen, Alicante, Gothenburg and Stockholm Arlanda). New connections have been added in 2007 from Copenhagen directly to Akureyri and Egilsstadir.

Cheaperthanhotels has established working arrangements with leading hotel chains and thousands of hotels across the globe through this association, to meet the accommodation needs of travellers at the most competitive rates and the highest ethical standards.

If you've ever heard of the phrase champagne taste on a beer budget, you've found me. I make soap from scratch because regular soap does not agree with my skin, I recreate restaurant meals at home, create appliances I cannot install or afford (yet,) and in general, I figure out a way from no way. I pray a lot too. Join me on my journey. It will be fun.

Everything you see me do is for entertainment purposes only. All of my experiments are for my purposes only. It's fun to watch.

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William James McCloud III

I hadn't heard anything on the Fourth of July holiday and that was strange. I had the urge to call the day before but since I have a history of being pushy, I let it go.
On the fifth, my birthday, it was my obligation to find out what was going on. It wasn't like Bill to not want to light firecrackers with little Billy on the holiday--it was a yearly debate.
I hoped he wasn't in jail. Illness had not crossed my mind. I thought he was the picture of good health but the things we think can be wrong.
Lauren's Birthday party June 14--the last time we were all together.
He was in the hospital.
William James McCloud III died July 15, 11 days after entering the hospital--after telling his wife Jennifer he wasn't feeling well.
Bill left work early that Wednesday, after consuming an energy drink. Apparently he was having a heart attack. His arteries were blocked.
Bill was only 38 years old. His birthday is next month and his mother tells me a big celebration had been planned.
Bill was my husband. He is the father of my two children. Even though we decided to live separate lives, we still cared for each other. We cared enough to let each other live in peace and stop the fighting. We got along because we wanted to.
Now, he is gone and I feel my former better half has left me alone. When in personal crisis, he was my go-to-guy.
Goodbye, Bill you are loved and I will make you proud and bring honor to your good name.
In Love,
Lauren, Billy and Leslie

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